Bella Donna: Sade

My friend Frank, who's behind the excellent Rappers I Know, has impeccable taste. So when I asked him if he had a celebrity crush, without hesitation, he namechecked Sade. No wonder: at the age of 50, she continues to have one of the silkiest voices and most beautiful faces in music. Born in Nigeria, Helen Folasade Adu moved to England at the age of four. Later, after studying fashion at St. Martin's College, she translated her love of soul artists such as Nina Simone and Marvin Gaye into a singing career.

Her eponymous group enjoyed immense popularity throughout the '80s and early '90s, enjoying hits like "Smooth Operator" and "No Ordinary Love." Her sensual beauty stood out in a sea of highly stylized singers, providing a different version of beauty from the neon-and-teased-bangs trends of the day. Although she's been out of the spotlight for a few years, she's working on a new album, giving Frank (among others) a chance to be inspired by her silken voice and stunning looks once more.

If you've never seen a Sade video, you can change that. Just sashay, Sade, this way.